EP REVIEW: Anthropocene – Odd Palace

Danish prog rockers ODD PALACE return with Anthropocene, a concept EP which contains their first new music since their 2020 sophomore album One Step Closer. 

The five-song collection kicks off with its lead single Wildfire and a monster djenty riff which flows into a modern rock chorus with a tinge of electronica. Avalanche continues in a similar vein, opening with a heavy mid-tempo stomp. The prog elements are subtle, mostly evident in the arrangements and brief instrumental flourishes, rather than particularly searching song structures or harmonic decisions.

By the time recent singles Cyclone and Flood roll by, you get the idea. Unlike the natural disasters they are named after, the songwriting on Anthropocene feels safe, following a similar pattern of repeated brief verses and explosive choruses, with short bridges that hint at development but return to safety imminently. Even the song lengths and abrupt endings signify that brevity is a priority, but that has come at the expense of letting the songs breathe. Closing track Whiteout is the only song that breaks the four-minute barrier and it pays off with a longer bridge/breakdown section that provides one of the best moments on the EP.

On Anthropocene, ODD PALACE showcase an overly streamlined alternative rock sound which obscures the potential in what they had previously shown. The result is a competent, but ultimately unremarkable effort.

Rating: 5/10

Anthropocene is set for release on November 17th via Prime Collective.

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